Before the action at the Rosewood High School “Dance-A-Thon” jumps off, a bit of preamble to tonight’s episode of “Pretty Little Liars,” titled “Careful What U Wish 4.” The girls have been watching and re-watching the clip of Alison and Ian that A put on Spencer’s laptop, but are still vexed about what to make of it. The only thing they agree on is that they will take the laptop to the police on their school lunch break. Unfortunately, Spencer’s laptop turns up missing from her locker, and all signs seem to point to Ian, so good at acting creepy at times like this. Now, on to the Dance-A-Thon, where we pick up the stories, individually and collectively…

Emily, desperate to make contact with Maya, doesn’t object when Hanna takes her phone and gives it to the new kid, a combination drug supplier/Mr. Fixit who can rig the phone to bypass Maya’s altered security on her phone, for a price. At the dance, Emily places a call to Maya, but is disturbed by what she describes as her girlfriend’s “there, but not there” demeanor. She then gets drunk on Hanna’s stash of booze (just enough to spike the punch only!). More on this later.

Spencer, again channeling Veronica Mars, spearheads the PLLs’ mission to retrieve her missing laptop, which they believe Ian has hidden in his school office. After Aria gets Ian’s keys from coat check, Spencer finds that none of the keys fit, and at the same time is busted by the same dude who fixed Emily’s phone.

Aria, who initially was happy that her old babysitter Simone, now a published authoress, has been visiting the school, is distressed when Simone is introduced to Ezra by her own mother. Since Simone is not blind, she takes a look at the English teacher, and Simone likes! At the dance, Aria nearly blows a gasket when she sees the two of them dancing (but Spencer moves in for the save). Speaking of dancing…

Hanna, looking forward to the dance and being with Sean, is texted by A (in blackmail mode), who executes his/her latest “job” for Hanna: ordering her to dance with Lucas for money. Hanna is forced to comply, even as Sean’s patience is tried and Lucas’ once-dashed hopes are (falsely) resurrected. Of course Hanna can’t explain to anyone why she’s acting so cruelly, and takes the body blow from a drunken Emily, accusing her of being worse that Alison.

It is drunken Emily who beelines to Ian on the dance floor and says “We know what you did, and you’re not getting away with it!” The girls break this up, but Spencer is grabbed by Ian, who threatens that if something is made of Emily’s accusation, there will be consequences.

As the dance winds down, Aria gets what she wants: reassurance from Ezra that it’s she that keeps his motor running. But the other girls’ evenings don’t end as well. Emily has to sleep off her bender, Hanna loses a BF and breaks the heart of a good friend in the process, and Spencer’s laptop turns up at her house, minus the incriminating clip (and a message from A, indicating that the girls may have blown their chance at using a prime clue to the mystery). As for “A”, he/she was indeed at the dance, watching the machinations unfold. Whoever he/she is, A has a snazzy leather jacket and gloves to match.

Will Emily find out what’s going on with Maya? Will Hanna’s humiliation continue? Will Aria and Ezra hurdle over the next obstacle to their true love? Will Spencer break down and get an actual P.I.’s license? The answers to all (okay, most) of these questions are sure to come in next week’s “Pretty Little Liars.” Seven more days and counting…